Extreme Fire Behavior

Understanding the Hazard

Valdivia, Chile
January 2010
CFBT-US
Not just what and how, but why!
For what is experienced judgment except
opinion based on knowledge acquired by
experience? If you have fought fires in
every type of building with every different
configuration and fuel load, under all types
of conditions, and if you have remembered
exactly what happened in each of these
combinations your experienced judgment is
probably very good.

Paraphrased from
Fundamentals of Fire Behavior
Gisborne, 1948
Learning Outcomes

 Recognize the hazards presented by extreme

fire behavior.
 Explain how the following extreme fire
behavior phenomena occur:
 Flashover
 Backdraft
 Smoke Explosion
 Flash Fire
 Phenomena that result in rapid
Extreme Fire Behavior fire progression and present a
significant threat to firefighters

Transient Events
Rapid transition and
sustained increase in HRR
Overpressure

Ignition and rapid or Confined

explosive combustion
Smoke
Backdraft
Step Events Explosion

Pre-Mixed High Fuel/Air

Fuel Ventilation Flammable Concentration
Controlled Controlled Fuel/Air Concentration

Vent-Induced Flash
Flashover
Flashover Fire

Moderate Fuel/Air Pre-Mixed Flammable

Concentration Fuel/Air Concentration
Limited Mass or Confinement

Minimal
HRR Sufficient to Result in Overpressure
Full Surface Involvement
Knowledge and Skill

What knowledge and skill becomes critical to

your safety when faced with these conditions?
HRR C

D
B

Time
Flashover

 Flashover is a rapid transition to the fully

developed stage of a compartment fire.
 Heat flux increases the temperature of
additional fuel packages within the
compartment.
 Sufficient transfer of heat to other fuel
packages can result in flashover
 Radiant Heat Flux at the Floor: 15-20 kW/m2
 Temperature: 500o-600o C (932o-1112o F)
HRR C

D
B

A
E

Time
Flashover

 Given adequate ventilation flashover occurs

as part of normal fire development
 If ventilation is limited, the fire may become
ventilation controlled prior to flashover
 A subsequent increase in ventilation may
result in flashover
HRR C F

D
B

A
E

Time
Activity Vent Induced Flashover

These video clips show recreation of

conditions involved in the fatality of
two firefighters involved in a live
fire training exercise.
 Fuel load included pallets, a
polyurethane foam mattress, carpet,
and carpet padding.
 Describe your observations and
explain the observed phenomena

Another view…
 Adequate
Air

Fuel-
Controlled Increased
Fire HRR

Adequate
Fuel

Flashover Additional
Fuel
 Adequate
Air

Fuel-
Controlled Increased
Fire HRR

Adequate
Fuel

Flashover Additional
Fuel

Adequate
Vent- Fuel
Controlled
Increased
Fire
HRR

Limited Increased
Air Ventilation
Low
Oxygen
Concentration
Backdraft

 Backdraft is where an under-ventilated fire

receives a sudden supply of air, and an ignition
source causes the mixing fire gases to ignite,
sometimes with explosive force
 Backdraft generally results in an extremely
rapid, but transient increase in energy release.
HRR

C F

D
B

A
E

Time
Activity Backdraft

This video clip illustrates a

backdraft in a window cell.

 Watch closely for fire

behavior indicators that may
point to backdraft potential
 Why do you think there is a
difference in outcome in this
series of demonstrations?
 Auto or
Possibly
High Piloted Ignition
Temperature

Backdraft Increased
Ventilation
Limited
Vent- Air Low
Controlled Oxygen
Fire Concentration

High
Excess
Fuel Gas
Fuel
Concentration
HRR

Flashover or
Backdraft?

Ventilation Increased
Time
Sequential Effects

Transient fire behavior in and of

itself does not generally result in a
sustained increase in fire intensity.
However…
Sequential Effects

 Fire in the basement of a

five-story, heavy timber
meat packing plant

 Yellowish brown smoke pushing

with high velocity from floor
four
 A backdraft followed horizontal
ventilation of floor four
 Flashover of all floors lead to
full involvement with extension
to other buildings
Smoke Explosion

 Smoke Explosion involves ignition of an

accumulated mass of flammable fire gases
and pyrolysis products existing in a room or
compartment
 The ignition source may be flames, embers,
or may even be unrelated to the fire.
 Addition of oxygen is not necessary as the
gases already mixed with air and within their
flammable range

A smoke explosion is similar to

ignition of propane or natural
gas inside a structure
 Gases < ±600o C

Low
Temperature

Piloted Ignition

Adequate Ignition
Smoke Air Source

Explosion Within the

Flammable
Range
Adequate
Fuel
Flash Fire

 Flash fire involves ignition of accumulated

pyrolysis products and flammable products of
combustion
 The mass of gas phase fuel or confinement is
limited, minimizing the overpressure resulting
from combustion
Conditions are dynamic and
may vary considerably at
Extreme Adequate
Initiating
Event?
different locations in a building!
Fire Behavior Air Supply

Increasing
Fuel- HRR
Step Controlled
Fire Adequate
Event Fuel
Additional
Temporary Sustained Flashover Fuel
Increase Increase
Remote
Location
Transient Ventilation-
Event Controlled
Post-Fire
Low Temp Fire
Control
Smoke Adequate
Explosion Increased Fuel
Initiating Ventilation
Adequate
Fuel Event
Backdraft Increasing
Within Adequate HRR
Flammable Air High Temp
Initiating
Range Ventilation- Event?
Controlled Changed
Excess Conditions
Ignition Inadequate Fuel HRR
Source Air Ventilation
Above
Thermal
UEL/UFL
Initiating Runaway
Event?
Increased
Ventilation
Initiating
Event?
 Phenomena that result in rapid
Extreme Fire Behavior fire progression and present a
significant threat to firefighters

Transient Events
Rapid transition and
sustained increase in HRR
Overpressure

Ignition and rapid or Confined

explosive combustion
Smoke
Backdraft
Step Events Explosion

Pre-Mixed High Fuel/Air

Fuel Ventilation Flammable Concentration
Controlled Controlled Fuel/Air Concentration

Vent-Induced Flash
Flashover
Flashover Fire

Moderate Fuel/Air Pre-Mixed

Concentration Fuel/Air Concentration
Limited Mass or Confinement

Minimal
HRR Sufficient to Result in Overpressure
Full Surface Involvement
ed.hartin@cfbt-us.com
1 (503) 793-1296
http://www.cfbt-us.com